Since 1980, the Pinch Hitters program has been a wonderful opportunity for us to give something back to the Atlanta community. Pinch Hitters is B’nai B’rith’s annual community service project where volunteers from the Atlanta Jewish Community “go to bat” for non-medical hospital personnel on Christmas Day. We are delighted to announce that we are going to serve the community with the Pinch Hitter Program live and in person this year! Our volunteers work in four-hour shifts so our Christian brethren can spend the holiday at home with their families. Pinch Hitters is organized by the Achim/Gate City (Atlanta) Lodge #0144 of B’nai B’rith International.
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In past years, hundreds of volunteers like you helped make our Pinch Hitter Program better and better.
Pinch Hitter 2018 volunteers Zev Beeber, Emily Peikin, and Jade, Gail, & Loyd Tate at the VA Medical Center.
Pinch Hitter 2018 volunteer Arnold Zilberkant at Dunwoody Place.
Pinch Hitter 2018 volunteer Myrtle Lewin at VA Medical Center.
This year, we will work in four-hour shifts at seven hospitals and assisted living facilities and we need your help. You can sign up online at
www.pinchhitters.org for your choice of hospital and shift. This is a fun activity for families.
Shifts generally run from 7 to 11 (early morning), 11 to 3 (mid-day), or 3 to 7 (afternoon). Note that these times are approximate and will vary by facility and/or department. You can see the approximate time for each facility on the website. You will be notified by your volunteer coordinator for the facility where you are assigned of your actual reporting time.
Please review the available slots on the website (
www.pinchhitters.org) and click on the button to sign up for your choice of time and location.
We hope that you will choose to join us on Sunday, December 25, 2022, and help us provide a mitzvah at one of the hospitals or assisted living facilities listed above!
The program costs us over $2,500 to put on. Would you like to include a tax-deductible contribution to keep the Pinch Hitters Program a success? Your donation will help us defray our costs for mailings, supplies, advertising, and shirts for our volunteers. Please mail a check, payable to B’nai B’rith, to Harry Lutz, 1748 Corners Cove, Dunwoody, GA 30338.
If you can’t volunteer on December 25th, you can still be part of the Pinch Hitter Program by donating* to B’nai B’rith. Your contribution will help us continue to do the work we do every year.
If you have any questions or comments, please contact Harry Lutz, Chairman of the B’nai B’rith Pinch Hitter Program at 678- 485-8179 or hslutz_fsa@yahoo.com for more information.
* B’nai B’rith is an exempt organization under Sec. 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Donations may be deductible. Consult your tax professional.
About Pinch Hitters:
To Christians, Christmas is one of their most sacred holidays. It is a day of worship, goodwill, and celebration. Businesses close for the day and employees spend the holiday with their loved ones. In hospitals, nursing homes, police stations, and fire stations throughout the country, however, employees must report to work. The business of caring for the sick and injured and responding to victims of unfortunate situations is a daily task, with no regard for a holiday schedule.
While the Jewish community does not celebrate Christmas, many Jews have this holiday off from work. Since 1980, the Pinch Hitter Program has been a wonderful opportunity for Jewish Atlanta to give back to the larger community. The Pinch Hitter Program is our annual community service project where volunteers from the Atlanta Jewish community “go to bat” for non-medical healthcare workers on Christmas Day. In the spirit of the season, B’nai B’rith members and the Jewish community at large will replace Christian workers in hospitals, assisted living facilities, and nursing homes, allowing them to spend the day with their families. Employees from these facilities benefit from this gesture of goodwill.
Pinch Hitters is organized by the Achim/Gate City (Atlanta) Lodge #0144 of B’nai B’rith International and the B’nai B’rith Center for Community Action.
While we have gained some local publicity from local newspapers and television stations, the program has also gained some national attention. The Pinch Hitter Program was awarded the 335th Presidential Point of Light Service Award by President George H.W. Bush in 1990. Additionally, the program was featured in a December 1998 issue of Family Circle magazine.
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